Food

Two-Bite Sweets

February 26, 2014

Easy to consume in just one or two bites, these truffles, cookies, chocolates, and other sweets make elegant treats for entertaining.

Bitter citrus rinds are transformed into a candy-sweet, chocolate-dipped confection.Christopher Hirsheimer

Baklava — Phyllo pastry layered with ground nuts luxuriating in sweet syrup is a centuries-old dessert that now exists in many variations throughout the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean.Todd Coleman

Sugar Plums — Sugar Plums
"...while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads." The famous sugar plums spoken about in Clement Clark Moore's beloved poem, "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" were actually sugar-coated coriander. Later the recipe changed and included other spices and dried fruit. This recipe is based on the confection we know today. Sugar plums tend to absorb the powdered sugar, so redust just before eating, if you like. See this RecipeDavid Sawyer

Pure sugar syrup heated to the hard-crack stage becomes a hard, translucent candy. In this recipe, the addition of butter produces an opaque candy with a silkier but still crunchy texture.Penny De Los Santos

Peppermint Patties — This chocolate-coated, fondant-centered candy is best enjoyed with a mug of hot cocoa.Penny De Los Santos

For these chewy, sweet bars, paraffin wax--a now mostly forgotten candy-making ingredient--is mixed with chocolate so that it will set properly when cooled and take on a shiny appearance.Penny De Los Santos

This quick and easy recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to satisfy a crowd. See the recipe for White Chocolate Crispies »Penny De Los Santos

This recipe is a version of one that Sue Raye, SAVEUR Kitchen Director Liz Pearson's mother, clipped from a neighborhood newsletter in the 1980s.Penny De Los Santos

These "Irish potatoes" are not what they would seem. This great recipe from Philadelphia's Moonstruck Restaurant showcases the bite-size coconut cream balls rolled in cinnamon, sugar, and cocoa.Erik Rank

These chocolatey confections are what author Shane Mitchell calls "Southern truffles--boozy and bad to the bone."Ben Fink

Butter Balls — Dredging these melt-in-your-mouth cookies twice--first while still warm and again after they've cooled--insures a generous covering of powdery sugar.David Graham

Adding rolled oats that have first been ground in the food processor helps hold these chocolate balls together while giving them an earthy note.Todd Coleman

Peppermint Caramels — Chewy caramel topped with crushed peppermint candies is one of many versions of kola, a kind of semisoft toffee adored all over Sweden.Todd Coleman

Almond-Cream Tartlets — Frozen raspberries or lingonberries top whipped cream and an almond pastry crust for these delicate, bite-sized tartlets.Todd Coleman

Almond Caramels — Mini caramels flavored with almond, orange zest, and syrup make simple, delicious treats (and wonderful gifts).Todd Coleman

Fluffy and sweet, vanilla bean marshmallows are a delicious (and necessary) addition to hot chocolate. See the recipe for Vanilla Bean Marshmallows »Dishing Up Delights

White Chocolate-Mint Truffles — When making these truffles, use supermarket-quality white chocolate, which has more stabilizers than expensive brands and sets up better.Todd Coleman

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cordials — Invertase, a liquid enzyme that's found in small bottles at most candy-making supply stores, is used to liquefy the cordials' luscious, chocolate fondant filling.Todd Coleman

Vanilla Cream Fudge — Real vanilla bean adds intense flavor to chewy fudge squares.Todd Coleman

Hazelnut liqueur adds an extra-sweet, nutty flavor to chopped hazelnuts, dried apricots, and semi-sweet chocolate.Todd Coleman

Cardamom-Laced Milk Chocolate Truffles — Cardamom adds delicate spice to rich chocolate truffles.Todd Coleman

These decadent candies taste best with a pinch of sea salt sprinkled on top.Todd Coleman

Cardamom-Ginger Crunch — These shortbreads get their spicy kick from ground cardamom and ginger.Todd Coleman

See the RecipeMichael Kraus

Akin to Mexican wedding cookies and Greek kourabiedes, these Austrian vanilla crescents made with ground walnuts and showered in confectioners' sugar are served throughout central Europe during the weeks leading up to Christmas. See the recipe for Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Crescents) »Todd Coleman

Shortbread Cookies (Punitions) — Traditional French shortbread cookies taste best using a good salted butter with a high butterfat content, such as Kerrygold.Todd Coleman

Salted Caramels — Michael Laiskonis, executive pastry chef at New York City's Le Bernardin, gave us the recipe for these caramel candies.Todd Coleman

Perfumed with floral lavender, these fragile, crispy thin wafers are a delicate cookie to serve on their own or as a crisp contrast to creamy desserts like crème brulée, pudding, or pie. See the recipe for Lavender Tuiles »

Orange Meringue Kisses — Modeled after the classic Creamsicle, these orange meringue kisses sandwiched with buttery white chocolate are a lively and bright addition to the holiday cookie spread.Maxime Iattoni

Little hazelnut meringues sandwiched with milk chocolate make light and elegant desserts.Todd Coleman

Coconut Milk Caramels — Chewy, pleasantly salty caramels are flavored simply with coconut milk and sugar.Anna Stockwell

Brigadeiros — See the Recipe

Lamingtons — See the Recipe

Fried Almond Pastries (Samsa Feuille de Brick) — Sticky-sweet almond pastries drenched in a syrup of honey and orange flower water are typical of the rustic desserts of Tunisia.Landon Nordeman

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies (Schokiladen-Butter-plätzchen) — The recipe for these Christmas cookies comes from the bakery Rischart in Munich. Their base is simple, leaving plenty of room for creative decorations.Todd Coleman

See the RecipeTodd Coleman

See the RecipeTodd Coleman

Pine Nut Brittle — Crunchy, salty, and rosemary-scented, pine nut brittle makes a great gift.Noah Fecks

These classically simple chocolate truffles are enriched with egg yolks—Medrich's special touch.Todd Coleman

Dark Chocolate Matzo Brittle — You can tailor this crisp kosher dessert by using white, milk or dark chocolate, sliced almonds or dried cranberries, or even omitting the chocolate all together. Get the recipe for Dark Chocolate Matzo Brittle »Helen Rosner

Candied Pecans — A combination of balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and brown sugar turns pecans into a toasty, addictive snack that's perfect for nibbling alongside apéritifs.Penny De Los Santos

Wedding Cookies — Crumbly powdered sugar coated cookies made with chopped pecans are often served at Southern weddings. This recipe, from Georgia home cook Tweet Moore, first appeared in our November 2013 issue with Wendell Brock's story Southern Belle.Landon Nordeman

Sweet Pretzel Butter Cookies — An egg wash before baking is the secret to the gorgeous golden color of these pretzel-shaped butter cookies. Get the recipe for Sweet Pretzel Butter Cookies »Helen Rosner

Nutty Chocolate Bark with Cardamom and Coffee — A flavorful combination of cardamom, dried mulberries, tart cherries, almonds, pistachios, and coffee beans tops dark chocolate in a crunchy, gorgeously layered bark adapted from Louisa Shafia's The New Persian Kitchen. If you don't have dried mulberries on hand, finely chopped figs are a fine substitute. See the recipe for Nutty Chocolate Bark with Cardamom and Coffee »Helen Rosner

Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies — Replacing standard all-purpose flour with whole grain rye makes a dense, fudgy cookie with an intense and complex chocolate flavor. Get the recipe for Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies »Helen Rosner

Sweet Benne Wafers — Adapted from The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen cookbook, these tuile-like cookies are crunchy, light, and airy with a delicate nuttiness from toasted sesame seeds.Helen Rosner

[Mashed Potato Fudge](/article/recipes/mashed-potato-fudge) — The unexpected addition of mashed potatoes adds an exceptional creaminess to dark chocolate fudge in this recipe adapted from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweets.Helen Rosner

Chocolate Amaretti Truffles — Amaretto, coffee, and crushed almond cookies flavor rich dark chocolate truffles in an adaptation of Julia Child's recipe from her classic cookbook, The Way to Cook.Helen Rosner

Chile-Lime Macaroons — These lightly spicy coconut cookies are somewhere between a classic American macaroon and a Mexican street snack.Helen Rosner

Chocolate-Dipped Pistachio Florentines — A glossy coating of chocolate makes these famously buttery, crunchy wafer cookies.Helen Rosner

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